Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Reflections ❯ That Which Was Left Behind ( Chapter 7 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: siberianknight 
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Mystery | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 06.17.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 1.2K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Mystery | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 06.17.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 1.2K | Status: Completed
Author's Notes: As usual, I must state that this story was started within the LiveJournal community, nsn_roundrobin. Please go there and read the stories. They're very good and since they have multiple authors, very interesting! This particular story was for the horror themed RR. I wrote the first chapter of it, and am I up again to write the sixth (I think) chapter.
This chapter introduces angst into the plot line, as well as a new direction for the story. I hope everyone enjoys it!
Warnings: Angst, Very Minor Spoilage (c295+)
Chapter Status: COMPLETE
-----
< br> Sasuke fell backwards onto the cool grass. He knew that if his eyes still worked, that the sky above him would be an impossible blue, the same blue as Naruto’s eyes. There had been no word for several days from Kakashi and his small troop of Anbu soldiers. He just wanted to hear something, to hear anything so that his heart and mind could finally come to terms. He thought back to when he was with Orochimaru, and how he had treated Naruto. There were times now that he wished with all his heart that Naruto had killed him, instead of saving him. It would have been easier than living with this uncertainty.
A soft giggle sounded nearby and Sasuke sat up, waiting to hear another sound, but nothing followed the laugh. “Hello?” There was a soft rustling, then small hands rested on his shoulders.
“Sassssuke ... he’s found someone to replace you.” It was a young girl’s voice, but not the same as the one he had heard that day in the woods.
“What do you want? Are you playing a game with me?” He ground his teeth together, trying to will his sight back.
The girl laughed as if what he said was the funniest thing she had ever heard. “A game? Us? No never.” Sasuke turned to try and catch her, but he only grabbed at air. “Tsk tsk. You must know that Naruto is happier where he is. I believe that Nee-san told you so.”
“Where is he!?”
“Now, now. I can’t answer unless you ask nicely.” Sasuke slowly pushed himself to his feet and stood perfectly still, trying to place the girl’s position. This obviously had to be one of the village kids joking with him. That was the only explanation. “I’ll give you one hint. That’s all. Listen to what your heart tells you ... not your mind.” There were soft footfalls, and Sasuke dove after the sound; however, he again, came up empty handed, and had managed to get a nasty grass burn on his palms for his effort.
“Dammit!”
“Sasuke-kun?” Sasuke buried his face into the grass as he heard his name roll off his old teammate’s tongue. “Everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine, Sakura.” He could tell that she was crouched down next to him, probably even had that stupid look of worry on her face. How many times had he seen that expression? For the first time, he was happy he couldn’t see anything.
“Sasuke-kun, Kakashi-sensei is back. I just thought I’d let you know.” Sasuke leapt to his feet and took off in a dead run back to the main part of Konoha. Sakura blinked a few times, as she watched her long time friend leave in a blur. “He didn’t find anything ... you should have waited for me to say so.” She slowly began to follow after Sasuke, but a soft noise caused her to pause. She turned her sharp green eyes toward the clearing and scanned it. A slow smirk started to form on her round face as she discovered the spy’s whereabouts. In one swift movement, Sakura dove into the brush and had the small girl by the ankle.
“Ow! Lemme go! Please! Nee-san will be mad!” The girl looked like she was around five years of age, and had wheat blonde hair. Sakura was puzzled by the clothes the girl wore. It was an elaborate kimono, which was not something one would wear while walking around through a forest.
“What are you doing here in the woods?” The young girl squirmed a bit, then turned to face Sakura, whose jaw dropped upon seeing the young girl’s face. “You’re -- you look like ... but that’s impossible.”
“What? I saw a butterfly and followed it in here ... if you’ll let me go I have to find Nee-san.” Sakura wasn’t certain what she should do. If she trusted the girl and let her go, would she regret it later? On the other hand, if she dragged the girl to Tsunade-sama, and there was nothing suspicious about the girl, what would they tell her sister? “Please, let me go.”
“I -- I will on one condition. Answer me why you look so much like the Hokage.” The young girl raised a perfectly formed blonde eyebrow. Obviously she didn’t understand the question, which worried Sakura.
“I do? Wow. Nee-san will think that’s funny. Now can I go?”
“You didn’t answer the question. I think you should come with me.” Sakura stood and tugged at the girl’s wrist, but she pulled back, trying to wrestle her arm free.
“No! I have to go back to Nee-san!” Sakura glared at the little girl, she was now convinced that something wasn’t right.
“I’m sorry, but your ‘Nee-san’ will just have to wait. There’s someone else you need to speak with right now.” The girl was scooped up into Sakura’s strong arms, and carried back to Tsunade.
-----
Naruto paced outside of Orochimaru’s home waiting for Sasuke’s anguished screams to stop. He wasn’t certain what had happened or what he had remembered, but with each passing minute the urge to run inside and comfort Sasuke was growing steadily stronger. Naruto knew that he cared deeply for the other boy, and that it didn’t matter what world they were in, Sasuke was Sasuke. In truth, he really just wanted to know what was wrong at that moment. It was horribly odd that Orochimaru had asked him to step outside and to wait until he was asked to come back in. There was definitely something odd happening.
“Sasuke-kun? Are you calming down now?” Sasuke pushed at Orochimaru, wanting to not be touched. Why had that happened? How could he have forgotten that Naruto had died!? It wasn’t possible! A new wave of sobs racked his lean body, and he could feel his stomach starting to rebel. He ran in the direction of the bathroom and made it just in time. “Oh my ...” Orochimaru felt at a loss. He had no idea that he was going to react in a manner such as this. “Naruto!”
At the sound of his name, Naruto darted back inside the house, his shoes screeching as he came to an abrupt halt in the living room. “What? Where’s Sasuke?”
“In the bathroom. I need you to sit down.”
“O-okay.” The look upon Orochimaru’s face concerned Naruto. It was the type of look one got before hearing very bad news, it seemed as if he were about to get some answers as to what was going on.
“Sasuke-kun is going through somewhat of a ... shock. He just found out that the Naruto -- his Naruto -- died the day before you arrived here.” Naruto’s eyes quickly dropped to the floor, his emotions feeling a bit confused and jumbled. He was a replacement, so to speak. The one clear thought that flitted through his mind was, poor Sasuke. “I need to tell you something ...”
Naruto raised his eyes back up. “What?”
“It’s about you, and why you’re here.” Orochimaru stood and began to pace the room slowly, trying to put into words the visions which he had seen. “I know you’re here to help Sasuke-kun. That one is perfectly clear. The one thing I’m trying to put into focus is this sense of mischief. It’s as if you’re being helped, but not at the same time ... and there is something about messing up your world.”
“Huh?” Naruto leaned back against the soft cushions trying to make sense of what he was being told. Not that his brain was fully understanding much, it hadn’t since he had arrived.
“You have the memories of this Sasuke’s Naruto. If I were you I would use those to help ease his pain ...” Orochimaru paused and rubbed his temple with two fingers. Why was it so hard to focus on this vision? “Two girls, blonde hair ... they -- they need to fix something that went wrong. No, that went badly for them. I -- you need to get back to Konoha, but I -- no ... you need to put the worlds back together.” Naruto suddenly felt as if his mind had split in two. ‘Put the worlds back together?’ What the hell did that mean!?
“Um, old man ... I don’t quite understand what you’re trying to say. Don’t I need to just go back home?”
Orochimaru thought for a moment on what Naruto had said before he answered. “Yes, but Sasuke must go too ... at least that’s what I feel.”
“What will happen to my Sasuke!?” Fear was rising quickly within him, and he wasn’t sure why. If going back meant something was going to happen to his Sasuke, then he’d stay here. Too much had already happened to his best friend, he wasn’t going to be the bringer of more bad luck.
“Relax ... I feel that everything will be alright. Do not fret over your old friend.”
“Easy for you to say.” Naruto made a snorting noise and glared at the coffee table. “So, how am I supposed to get back home?”
“I will take you to a good friend of mine ... he will help.”
Naruto chuckled softly. “Probably is Kabuto ...”
“You know him?”
“I’m right? You’re kidding ... right?”
“I do know a Kabuto, a very close friend of mine ... but no this is not the one of whom I speak. I’m talking about Suna Gaara.(1)” Naruto’s face lit up at the sound of his friend, the Kazekage. “I see you know him as well. Probably from your world -- right?”
“Yeah! He’s my friend!”
“Excellent. As soon as Sasuke-kun can travel I’ll take both of you there.”
-----
Sakura walked into Tsunade’s office with the small girl tucked in her arms. The Hokage had been waiting for the two of them, along with Sasuke and Kakashi. “This is the girl.” The girl wiggled trying to get out of Sakura’s strong grasp, but failed.
“You’re right, she does look like me.” Tsunade bent down to look into a face which was remarkably familiar. “What’s your name?”
“I -- I ... don’t have one.” Her voice trailed off as she answered, and her gaze fell to the floor. If she got free of these people, she’d never hear the end of it from Nee-san.
Sasuke’s ears perked up at the sound of the young girl’s voice. “That’s her! That’s the voice ... the one that told me about Naruto!” Kakashi laid a gentle hand on his shoulder in a silent request for him to calm himself a bit. “I’m fine, Kakashi. But that is the girl.”
“Sasuke! I -- I ... I’m sorry.” The young girl’s large gray-green eyes filled with tears as she gazed at the man for whom the girl she called sister had caused so much trouble.
Tsunade gazed over her shoulder at Sasuke, and carefully gauged his response to the girl. He looked as if he wanted to run across the room and throttle her senseless. “What are you sorry about?”
“I can’t say.” She was defensive now, and Tsunade was known for her ill temper. Everyone waited patiently as the Hokage tried to calm herself enough to talk to the young girl again.
“If you tell us, we won’t hurt you ... we want to help you.” The girl shook her head fiercely. “Look, we’re worried about a friend of ours, if you can help us ... please speak,” Tsunade ground out between her clinched teeth.
“They’ll be back soon ... just wait.” Everyone glanced at each other in confusion.
“‘They’ who?” The girl smiled and slowly opened her mouth, the following few minutes moved in a blur. Sakura held onto the girl’s quivering body as Tsunade tried her best to revive her. She had bit her own tongue and caused a seizure. “She’s dead.” The Hokage backed away from the young girl’s body, and motioned to the guard next to the door. He quietly left to fetch others and a stretcher to carry the girl’s body to the hospital.
“Poor thing.” Sakura gazed down at the girl’s limp body, wishing with all her might that it hadn’t come to this. “Sasuke-kun, I’m sorry ...”
“It’s okay. I’m not surprised really since it seems every time we get a bit of a clue, it vanishes.” Sasuke slumped down against the wall and held his head in his hands. If only they knew who ‘they’ was, then maybe his heart wouldn’t be swinging violently between hope and despair. Kakashi sat down beside him and rested his arm across Sasuke’s taught shoulders.
“My hunch is that the people she was referring to are the ones who have gone missing in the woods. It’s the only explanation.”
“I hope you’re right. Because I’m sick of waiting and wondering.”
-----
Gaara& rsquo;s house was huge. It seemed to sprawl for several blocks, and was enclosed by a tall wooden and steel fence. Sasuke hadn’t spoken with Naruto since they had left Orochimaru’s house. He was afraid to, afraid he would lose control and hold onto him for dear life and never let go. It was hard to control that urge, but nevertheless, he tried. “S-sasuke ... I --”
“Don’t, Naruto. I’ll be fine. You’re not mine remember?” Naruto glanced down at his feet. He didn’t mean to make Sasuke feel worse by speaking, he just wanted to help him. He didn’t like the fact that his friend was upset. “Naruto, you can’t fix everything.”
“Yeah, I know. I can try though.”
“Well, boys, here we are. Gaara-kun’s home.” Orochimaru pressed the small button on the intercom. A rich feminine voice answered the soft buzzing sound.
“Yes?”
“Ah, Temari-chan. This is Orochimaru. I’ve come with some friends, I’d like to see your brother, Gaara ... if that would be acceptable?” There was a pause then a chuckle as a clicking noise was heard. The gates swung open and the trio walked into a lush garden area. Naruto’s smile appeared as his eyes rested upon the girl who had allowed them entry. It had been a while since he had gotten to see any of the Suna clan, and even though they were not the same people, it still made him happy to see they were well.
“Hello Orochimaru-san. Gaara was just mentioning that we should all come and visit.” Orochimaru laughed as the two bowed slightly in greeting. “Gaara is in back, if you’ll follow me.”
“Allow me to introduce my companions. This is Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto.” The two boys uttered a small greeting as the group traversed the walkway leading to the back of the main house. Gaara was sitting on the edge of the wooden walkway, playing with a small kitten. It was odd to see him without the blood tattoo upon his forehead, but other than that, he looked like himself. “Gaara-kun, it’s been a long time!”
“Ah, Orochimaru-san. It’s a pleasure to see you again.” He rose and gazed at Naruto, a curious expression upon his pale face. “Do I ... know you?”
“I’m friends with your ... well --” Naruto blushed a little, feeling stupid talking about a separate world.
Gaara smiled at the young blonde. “My other self?” Naruto nodded, still feeling embarrassed, but happy that he wasn’t being looked at like a crazy person. “You wish to go home ... is that why you’ve come here?”
“Yeah. But I don’t see how --”
“It’s not so hard, I’ll need Orochimaru’s help though.” With Gaara in the lead, the group entered through a heavily bolted door, and down into a basement of sorts. Naruto could barely see anything, and it looked as if no one had been in that part of the house for many many years. The narrow stairwell spilled into a large open room, where one lone light on the far wall cast an eerie pale glow over the spartan room.
“There’s nothing in here.” Sasuke mumbled with some aggravation.
“Patience ...” Gaara walked over to the solitary piece of furniture which was a decrepit wooden pantry. One of the doors was barely hanging from its single rusty upper hinge, and the other door had a large hole in the center of it. Gaara quietly removed candles from the cupboard, and arranged them on the floor. He then took out a piece of white chalk and drew what looked like a jutsu array on the floor. Naruto observed his actions closely, trying to figure out where someone from this world could have learned such a thing. It amazed him that despite the fact that he couldn’t do any type of jutsu nor could he summon any chakra, this man could apparently perform something that resembled a jutsu.
Once finished, Gaara gazed at Naruto and Sasuke. “Please, step inside the center mark.”
“Both of us?” Sasuke and Naruto questioned in tandem.
With a soft chuckle, Gaara gently took each boy’s hand and led them to the center. “There. Stand still, please.”
Naruto glanced at Sasuke and took note of his distressed expression. He had to ask, he just couldn’t keep it to himself despite what Orochimaru had said earlier. “Why is he going to?”
“Because, he needs to, Naruto-kun. He’s important to what will happen next.” Orochimaru smiled, but something about the smile sent a chill down Naruto’s spine. It was too much like the ones which he had seen on his enemy’s face. The one that reeked of hatred and evil. The one that even Sasuke had sported for a time. “It’s time, Gaara-kun.” Something wasn’t right, and Naruto could feel it. However, Sasuke’s light brush of his fingers against his own caused him to pause long enough for Gaara to perform the jutsu. As a bright light enveloped the two of them, Naruto swore that he could hear the faint evil snicker of Orochimaru’s laugh.
-----
Tsunade and Jiraiya walked into the medical examiner’s office in the early morning hours the day after the girl’s death. They had both decided that it would be a good idea to perform an autopsy on the girl to see if that voice which had been nagging Tsunade was right or not. “Please let me be wrong ...” The Hokage was wringing her hands together as she walked beside her friend.
Jiraiya felt at a total loss as to what he should do to comfort her. He had his doubts about her hunch, but at the same time, there was that possibility. It would only make sense for him to have done something like that. He was an evil genius after all. “Tsunade ...”
“No. Don’t say it, Jiraiya. I just want to go in there and hear what he has to say.”
They pushed open the door and were greeted by a kind elderly man, who normally wore a bright smile on his face, but today his eyes held a trace of panic and fear. “Hokage-sama ... I looked the young child over, and --” He shuffled his feet while trying to calm his nerves. This was a hard thing to tell this woman.
“‘And?!’ What?! What is it!?”
Jiraiya rested his hands on her trembling shoulders. “Easy ...”
“Oh shut up Jiraiya! This is a matter of life or death! If that girl was one of --”
“She was. There’s no mistake about it ... she was one of those unfortunate experiments.” The doctor stared down at the floor as the room fell silent. He had been dreading this all night long because his findings showed that Konoha, no the world, was in danger once more.
“Great ... he did leave something behind.” Tsunade sighed as she walked over to a chair and slumped down into its softness. She had been up all night trying to think of a way to deal with this, but had come up with very few answers. There was but one thing that she could do now, and it would alert all of Konoha there was danger on the horizon. “Jiraiya, ask Kakashi to assemble all Anbu troops ... we need to be prepared -- there’s a chance that Konoha will receive a threat from the grave.”
-------------------------
(1)I gave Gaara the last name Suna because it means sand, and well ... he doesn't actually have a surname.
Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi, TV-Tokyo, & Shounen Jump
geovisit();
This chapter introduces angst into the plot line, as well as a new direction for the story. I hope everyone enjoys it!
Warnings: Angst, Very Minor Spoilage (c295+)
Chapter Status: COMPLETE
< br> Sasuke fell backwards onto the cool grass. He knew that if his eyes still worked, that the sky above him would be an impossible blue, the same blue as Naruto’s eyes. There had been no word for several days from Kakashi and his small troop of Anbu soldiers. He just wanted to hear something, to hear anything so that his heart and mind could finally come to terms. He thought back to when he was with Orochimaru, and how he had treated Naruto. There were times now that he wished with all his heart that Naruto had killed him, instead of saving him. It would have been easier than living with this uncertainty.
A soft giggle sounded nearby and Sasuke sat up, waiting to hear another sound, but nothing followed the laugh. “Hello?” There was a soft rustling, then small hands rested on his shoulders.
“Sassssuke ... he’s found someone to replace you.” It was a young girl’s voice, but not the same as the one he had heard that day in the woods.
“What do you want? Are you playing a game with me?” He ground his teeth together, trying to will his sight back.
The girl laughed as if what he said was the funniest thing she had ever heard. “A game? Us? No never.” Sasuke turned to try and catch her, but he only grabbed at air. “Tsk tsk. You must know that Naruto is happier where he is. I believe that Nee-san told you so.”
“Where is he!?”
“Now, now. I can’t answer unless you ask nicely.” Sasuke slowly pushed himself to his feet and stood perfectly still, trying to place the girl’s position. This obviously had to be one of the village kids joking with him. That was the only explanation. “I’ll give you one hint. That’s all. Listen to what your heart tells you ... not your mind.” There were soft footfalls, and Sasuke dove after the sound; however, he again, came up empty handed, and had managed to get a nasty grass burn on his palms for his effort.
“Dammit!”
“Sasuke-kun?” Sasuke buried his face into the grass as he heard his name roll off his old teammate’s tongue. “Everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine, Sakura.” He could tell that she was crouched down next to him, probably even had that stupid look of worry on her face. How many times had he seen that expression? For the first time, he was happy he couldn’t see anything.
“Sasuke-kun, Kakashi-sensei is back. I just thought I’d let you know.” Sasuke leapt to his feet and took off in a dead run back to the main part of Konoha. Sakura blinked a few times, as she watched her long time friend leave in a blur. “He didn’t find anything ... you should have waited for me to say so.” She slowly began to follow after Sasuke, but a soft noise caused her to pause. She turned her sharp green eyes toward the clearing and scanned it. A slow smirk started to form on her round face as she discovered the spy’s whereabouts. In one swift movement, Sakura dove into the brush and had the small girl by the ankle.
“Ow! Lemme go! Please! Nee-san will be mad!” The girl looked like she was around five years of age, and had wheat blonde hair. Sakura was puzzled by the clothes the girl wore. It was an elaborate kimono, which was not something one would wear while walking around through a forest.
“What are you doing here in the woods?” The young girl squirmed a bit, then turned to face Sakura, whose jaw dropped upon seeing the young girl’s face. “You’re -- you look like ... but that’s impossible.”
“What? I saw a butterfly and followed it in here ... if you’ll let me go I have to find Nee-san.” Sakura wasn’t certain what she should do. If she trusted the girl and let her go, would she regret it later? On the other hand, if she dragged the girl to Tsunade-sama, and there was nothing suspicious about the girl, what would they tell her sister? “Please, let me go.”
“I -- I will on one condition. Answer me why you look so much like the Hokage.” The young girl raised a perfectly formed blonde eyebrow. Obviously she didn’t understand the question, which worried Sakura.
“I do? Wow. Nee-san will think that’s funny. Now can I go?”
“You didn’t answer the question. I think you should come with me.” Sakura stood and tugged at the girl’s wrist, but she pulled back, trying to wrestle her arm free.
“No! I have to go back to Nee-san!” Sakura glared at the little girl, she was now convinced that something wasn’t right.
“I’m sorry, but your ‘Nee-san’ will just have to wait. There’s someone else you need to speak with right now.” The girl was scooped up into Sakura’s strong arms, and carried back to Tsunade.
Naruto paced outside of Orochimaru’s home waiting for Sasuke’s anguished screams to stop. He wasn’t certain what had happened or what he had remembered, but with each passing minute the urge to run inside and comfort Sasuke was growing steadily stronger. Naruto knew that he cared deeply for the other boy, and that it didn’t matter what world they were in, Sasuke was Sasuke. In truth, he really just wanted to know what was wrong at that moment. It was horribly odd that Orochimaru had asked him to step outside and to wait until he was asked to come back in. There was definitely something odd happening.
“Sasuke-kun? Are you calming down now?” Sasuke pushed at Orochimaru, wanting to not be touched. Why had that happened? How could he have forgotten that Naruto had died!? It wasn’t possible! A new wave of sobs racked his lean body, and he could feel his stomach starting to rebel. He ran in the direction of the bathroom and made it just in time. “Oh my ...” Orochimaru felt at a loss. He had no idea that he was going to react in a manner such as this. “Naruto!”
At the sound of his name, Naruto darted back inside the house, his shoes screeching as he came to an abrupt halt in the living room. “What? Where’s Sasuke?”
“In the bathroom. I need you to sit down.”
“O-okay.” The look upon Orochimaru’s face concerned Naruto. It was the type of look one got before hearing very bad news, it seemed as if he were about to get some answers as to what was going on.
“Sasuke-kun is going through somewhat of a ... shock. He just found out that the Naruto -- his Naruto -- died the day before you arrived here.” Naruto’s eyes quickly dropped to the floor, his emotions feeling a bit confused and jumbled. He was a replacement, so to speak. The one clear thought that flitted through his mind was, poor Sasuke. “I need to tell you something ...”
Naruto raised his eyes back up. “What?”
“It’s about you, and why you’re here.” Orochimaru stood and began to pace the room slowly, trying to put into words the visions which he had seen. “I know you’re here to help Sasuke-kun. That one is perfectly clear. The one thing I’m trying to put into focus is this sense of mischief. It’s as if you’re being helped, but not at the same time ... and there is something about messing up your world.”
“Huh?” Naruto leaned back against the soft cushions trying to make sense of what he was being told. Not that his brain was fully understanding much, it hadn’t since he had arrived.
“You have the memories of this Sasuke’s Naruto. If I were you I would use those to help ease his pain ...” Orochimaru paused and rubbed his temple with two fingers. Why was it so hard to focus on this vision? “Two girls, blonde hair ... they -- they need to fix something that went wrong. No, that went badly for them. I -- you need to get back to Konoha, but I -- no ... you need to put the worlds back together.” Naruto suddenly felt as if his mind had split in two. ‘Put the worlds back together?’ What the hell did that mean!?
“Um, old man ... I don’t quite understand what you’re trying to say. Don’t I need to just go back home?”
Orochimaru thought for a moment on what Naruto had said before he answered. “Yes, but Sasuke must go too ... at least that’s what I feel.”
“What will happen to my Sasuke!?” Fear was rising quickly within him, and he wasn’t sure why. If going back meant something was going to happen to his Sasuke, then he’d stay here. Too much had already happened to his best friend, he wasn’t going to be the bringer of more bad luck.
“Relax ... I feel that everything will be alright. Do not fret over your old friend.”
“Easy for you to say.” Naruto made a snorting noise and glared at the coffee table. “So, how am I supposed to get back home?”
“I will take you to a good friend of mine ... he will help.”
Naruto chuckled softly. “Probably is Kabuto ...”
“You know him?”
“I’m right? You’re kidding ... right?”
“I do know a Kabuto, a very close friend of mine ... but no this is not the one of whom I speak. I’m talking about Suna Gaara.(1)” Naruto’s face lit up at the sound of his friend, the Kazekage. “I see you know him as well. Probably from your world -- right?”
“Yeah! He’s my friend!”
“Excellent. As soon as Sasuke-kun can travel I’ll take both of you there.”
Sakura walked into Tsunade’s office with the small girl tucked in her arms. The Hokage had been waiting for the two of them, along with Sasuke and Kakashi. “This is the girl.” The girl wiggled trying to get out of Sakura’s strong grasp, but failed.
“You’re right, she does look like me.” Tsunade bent down to look into a face which was remarkably familiar. “What’s your name?”
“I -- I ... don’t have one.” Her voice trailed off as she answered, and her gaze fell to the floor. If she got free of these people, she’d never hear the end of it from Nee-san.
Sasuke’s ears perked up at the sound of the young girl’s voice. “That’s her! That’s the voice ... the one that told me about Naruto!” Kakashi laid a gentle hand on his shoulder in a silent request for him to calm himself a bit. “I’m fine, Kakashi. But that is the girl.”
“Sasuke! I -- I ... I’m sorry.” The young girl’s large gray-green eyes filled with tears as she gazed at the man for whom the girl she called sister had caused so much trouble.
Tsunade gazed over her shoulder at Sasuke, and carefully gauged his response to the girl. He looked as if he wanted to run across the room and throttle her senseless. “What are you sorry about?”
“I can’t say.” She was defensive now, and Tsunade was known for her ill temper. Everyone waited patiently as the Hokage tried to calm herself enough to talk to the young girl again.
“If you tell us, we won’t hurt you ... we want to help you.” The girl shook her head fiercely. “Look, we’re worried about a friend of ours, if you can help us ... please speak,” Tsunade ground out between her clinched teeth.
“They’ll be back soon ... just wait.” Everyone glanced at each other in confusion.
“‘They’ who?” The girl smiled and slowly opened her mouth, the following few minutes moved in a blur. Sakura held onto the girl’s quivering body as Tsunade tried her best to revive her. She had bit her own tongue and caused a seizure. “She’s dead.” The Hokage backed away from the young girl’s body, and motioned to the guard next to the door. He quietly left to fetch others and a stretcher to carry the girl’s body to the hospital.
“Poor thing.” Sakura gazed down at the girl’s limp body, wishing with all her might that it hadn’t come to this. “Sasuke-kun, I’m sorry ...”
“It’s okay. I’m not surprised really since it seems every time we get a bit of a clue, it vanishes.” Sasuke slumped down against the wall and held his head in his hands. If only they knew who ‘they’ was, then maybe his heart wouldn’t be swinging violently between hope and despair. Kakashi sat down beside him and rested his arm across Sasuke’s taught shoulders.
“My hunch is that the people she was referring to are the ones who have gone missing in the woods. It’s the only explanation.”
“I hope you’re right. Because I’m sick of waiting and wondering.”
Gaara& rsquo;s house was huge. It seemed to sprawl for several blocks, and was enclosed by a tall wooden and steel fence. Sasuke hadn’t spoken with Naruto since they had left Orochimaru’s house. He was afraid to, afraid he would lose control and hold onto him for dear life and never let go. It was hard to control that urge, but nevertheless, he tried. “S-sasuke ... I --”
“Don’t, Naruto. I’ll be fine. You’re not mine remember?” Naruto glanced down at his feet. He didn’t mean to make Sasuke feel worse by speaking, he just wanted to help him. He didn’t like the fact that his friend was upset. “Naruto, you can’t fix everything.”
“Yeah, I know. I can try though.”
“Well, boys, here we are. Gaara-kun’s home.” Orochimaru pressed the small button on the intercom. A rich feminine voice answered the soft buzzing sound.
“Yes?”
“Ah, Temari-chan. This is Orochimaru. I’ve come with some friends, I’d like to see your brother, Gaara ... if that would be acceptable?” There was a pause then a chuckle as a clicking noise was heard. The gates swung open and the trio walked into a lush garden area. Naruto’s smile appeared as his eyes rested upon the girl who had allowed them entry. It had been a while since he had gotten to see any of the Suna clan, and even though they were not the same people, it still made him happy to see they were well.
“Hello Orochimaru-san. Gaara was just mentioning that we should all come and visit.” Orochimaru laughed as the two bowed slightly in greeting. “Gaara is in back, if you’ll follow me.”
“Allow me to introduce my companions. This is Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto.” The two boys uttered a small greeting as the group traversed the walkway leading to the back of the main house. Gaara was sitting on the edge of the wooden walkway, playing with a small kitten. It was odd to see him without the blood tattoo upon his forehead, but other than that, he looked like himself. “Gaara-kun, it’s been a long time!”
“Ah, Orochimaru-san. It’s a pleasure to see you again.” He rose and gazed at Naruto, a curious expression upon his pale face. “Do I ... know you?”
“I’m friends with your ... well --” Naruto blushed a little, feeling stupid talking about a separate world.
Gaara smiled at the young blonde. “My other self?” Naruto nodded, still feeling embarrassed, but happy that he wasn’t being looked at like a crazy person. “You wish to go home ... is that why you’ve come here?”
“Yeah. But I don’t see how --”
“It’s not so hard, I’ll need Orochimaru’s help though.” With Gaara in the lead, the group entered through a heavily bolted door, and down into a basement of sorts. Naruto could barely see anything, and it looked as if no one had been in that part of the house for many many years. The narrow stairwell spilled into a large open room, where one lone light on the far wall cast an eerie pale glow over the spartan room.
“There’s nothing in here.” Sasuke mumbled with some aggravation.
“Patience ...” Gaara walked over to the solitary piece of furniture which was a decrepit wooden pantry. One of the doors was barely hanging from its single rusty upper hinge, and the other door had a large hole in the center of it. Gaara quietly removed candles from the cupboard, and arranged them on the floor. He then took out a piece of white chalk and drew what looked like a jutsu array on the floor. Naruto observed his actions closely, trying to figure out where someone from this world could have learned such a thing. It amazed him that despite the fact that he couldn’t do any type of jutsu nor could he summon any chakra, this man could apparently perform something that resembled a jutsu.
Once finished, Gaara gazed at Naruto and Sasuke. “Please, step inside the center mark.”
“Both of us?” Sasuke and Naruto questioned in tandem.
With a soft chuckle, Gaara gently took each boy’s hand and led them to the center. “There. Stand still, please.”
Naruto glanced at Sasuke and took note of his distressed expression. He had to ask, he just couldn’t keep it to himself despite what Orochimaru had said earlier. “Why is he going to?”
“Because, he needs to, Naruto-kun. He’s important to what will happen next.” Orochimaru smiled, but something about the smile sent a chill down Naruto’s spine. It was too much like the ones which he had seen on his enemy’s face. The one that reeked of hatred and evil. The one that even Sasuke had sported for a time. “It’s time, Gaara-kun.” Something wasn’t right, and Naruto could feel it. However, Sasuke’s light brush of his fingers against his own caused him to pause long enough for Gaara to perform the jutsu. As a bright light enveloped the two of them, Naruto swore that he could hear the faint evil snicker of Orochimaru’s laugh.
Tsunade and Jiraiya walked into the medical examiner’s office in the early morning hours the day after the girl’s death. They had both decided that it would be a good idea to perform an autopsy on the girl to see if that voice which had been nagging Tsunade was right or not. “Please let me be wrong ...” The Hokage was wringing her hands together as she walked beside her friend.
Jiraiya felt at a total loss as to what he should do to comfort her. He had his doubts about her hunch, but at the same time, there was that possibility. It would only make sense for him to have done something like that. He was an evil genius after all. “Tsunade ...”
“No. Don’t say it, Jiraiya. I just want to go in there and hear what he has to say.”
They pushed open the door and were greeted by a kind elderly man, who normally wore a bright smile on his face, but today his eyes held a trace of panic and fear. “Hokage-sama ... I looked the young child over, and --” He shuffled his feet while trying to calm his nerves. This was a hard thing to tell this woman.
“‘And?!’ What?! What is it!?”
Jiraiya rested his hands on her trembling shoulders. “Easy ...”
“Oh shut up Jiraiya! This is a matter of life or death! If that girl was one of --”
“She was. There’s no mistake about it ... she was one of those unfortunate experiments.” The doctor stared down at the floor as the room fell silent. He had been dreading this all night long because his findings showed that Konoha, no the world, was in danger once more.
“Great ... he did leave something behind.” Tsunade sighed as she walked over to a chair and slumped down into its softness. She had been up all night trying to think of a way to deal with this, but had come up with very few answers. There was but one thing that she could do now, and it would alert all of Konoha there was danger on the horizon. “Jiraiya, ask Kakashi to assemble all Anbu troops ... we need to be prepared -- there’s a chance that Konoha will receive a threat from the grave.”
-------------------------
(1)I gave Gaara the last name Suna because it means sand, and well ... he doesn't actually have a surname.